ESOcast 209: Outreach and Science During the Total Solar Eclipse at La Silla

On 2 July 2019, a total solar eclipse was visible over ESO’s La Silla Observatory, located in the Chilean Atacama Desert. Total solar eclipses are rare phenomena that occur in a specific location once every 360 years on average and have a big impact on the people that witness them.

Even more rare is for total solar eclipses to occur over existing observatories, which allows for special science experiments to take place. For this reason, ESO invited over 25 scientists, communicators and educators to observe and document the event from La Silla Observatory. The experiments conducted by the invited participants enabled some fantastic results, such as mapping the polarisation of the Sun’s corona and analysing its spectra. 

To celebrate this impressive occurrence, ESO has released a new video podcast, ESOcast 209. Watch it to revisit the total solar eclipse at La Silla and find out how astronomers have used this opportunity to learn more about our nearest star. For more details about the experiments conducted during the eclipse, check The Messenger No. 177.

You can subscribe to the ESOcasts on iTunes or receive future episodes on YouTube.

Many other ESOcast episodes are also available.

Find out how to view and contribute subtitles to the ESOcast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

Courtesy of European Southern Observatory